Obesity in middle age is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease

Abstract

Obesity during middle age in people who do not have high blood pressure or high cholesterol concentrations increases their risk in old age of hospitalisation or death from coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes. This is the conclusion of a large prospective study published this week that compared obese people with normal weight people who had similar cardiovascular risks. Obesity is already known to be associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death, but the study set out to determine whether it has an additional effect on cardiovascular outcomes independently of its strong associations with established coronary risk factors, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol concentrations. The study followed 17 643 men and women aged from 31 …